In the present text, the expression “hatch” of a motor vehicle is to be understood comprehensively. Accordingly, it includes not only the tailgate, the rear boot lid or the engine hood, but also the side door of a motor vehicle.
The hatch being discussed is pivotable by means of hinges about a geometrical hatch axis, whereby a hatch opening of the motor vehicle body may be closed. In this context, it may be noted that the motor vehicle body does not include the hatch in the present illustration. The hatch of the motor vehicle is therefore not a constituent part of the motor vehicle body.
The known drive arrangement (DE 20 2005 018 584 U1), from which the invention proceeds, is equipped with an elongate spindle drive for producing linear drive movements. In the installed state, the spindle drive extends along the hatch axis and is aligned substantially parallel to the hatch axis with regard to its linear drive movements. Here, the spindle drive is arranged in the region of the rear roof frame in the vicinity of the hatch axis. A satisfactory utilization of the installation space is therefore ensured.
The known drive arrangement has disadvantages with regard to its crash behaviour. As a result of the fact that the drive is regularly separated from the vehicle interior only by a cover which is not very robust mechanically, the drive can lead to a risk to the vehicle occupants in the case of crash-induced deformations in the roof region. This is true, in particular, for motor vehicles, in which an additional rear row of seats is provided.